RIB charter fiasco

[SteveHall]

< Note: Thread split. Moved from Rib Cruising : Solent - 25th / 26th Sept. JK >

well.... What a weekend......

Everything seemed to be going well on Friday night, but Saturday morning is when it all stopped...

Collected the boat on Saturday morning and it was not what i was expecting... none of the equipment that i was expecting, and the boat needed lots of work on it, but seemed that there was not a lot that could be done and as we were here to enjoy our self just ignored this and set off to meet Richard and everyone - 30 Min's later had used 75ll of fuel - so we were un able to go round the IOW as planned as we were drinking fuel. so we decided to fill up at cowes and head back to the hamble and plod about on there.

Woke up on Sunday morning, very over cast but got v-nice so looked forward to a nice day on the hamble and on the Solent, went to fill up again, (another 50 on fuel - Total Fuel Cost for the weekend 190.00) as we were leaving the hamble, a little yellow boat came after us with blue light and making a funny noise. (umm is it after me...I'm sure i payed for the petrol) Well pulled over and it was the Harbour Master... Only to find out that the company that i have got the boat from has had all of his charter licenses taken from him and that in fact it was an illegal charter They let me continue as the said i was not at fault.

So... i called the guy who i got the boat from and he said that there was nothing wrong with the boat and it was that the harbour masters were just been a pain, and i had taken the boat on my qualifications but i explained that i would like to speak face to face and get some money back, only to find that...will let you guess...........yep he is not around.

Dose anyone have any advice as to what to do next..

[Andre]

Steve, sorry to hear all that. we were wondering what had happened to you since you did not turn up at the Fountain for lunch

next time try to charter a diesel rib. My fuel bill for that day was pounds 17.00 and had travelled from Littlehampton to Cowes and back with 4 persons on board. If we had gone round the island then probably another £10.00 max

Andre

[Rogue Wave]

If the company you are talking about isn't Atlantic Web then I am gonna buy a Ribeye with Icom radios.

They are an outfit who are going to give the rest of us a bad name. Was the boat very aptly called 'Spectre of Defeat' I don't know how it got licensed in the first place has it still got holes in the deck where things have been dropped on it. What safety kit where you provided with?

Make a complaint to the Harbour Masters at Southampton and Hamble and the MCA if you think the boat was unsafe ( in which case you shouldn't have gone to sea) or that they misrepresented the coding/charter licenses.

if you just want your money back then it's good of not merchantable quality and the small claims court.

I don't like using this Forum to advertise my services but if you want to do it again hire one of my boats or Islanders if he still does bareboat At least they are looked after and the companies are run by people who care about customers.

[SteveHall]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

If the company you are talking about isn't Atlantic Web then I am gonna buy a Ribeye with Icom radios.

yup it was Atlantic Web. The RIB had a new console on so it did not have the 'Spectre of Defeat' printed on it.

There was no holes but lots of studs for seats and bits of pipe sticking a few cm out of the deck

I did not feel the boat was un safe, but was not wat i expected.

There was a v-basic first aid kit, fire ext and flares. When i have spoken to him since he seems to be giving me the line that its my rib for the weekend so its up to me, the way i understood it, it would be like getting a car from a hire company and it did not have an MOT, or spare tire.

[SteveHall]

Anyone have a contact number for the Harbour Master's Office at Warsash?

I would like to speak to them and ask them a few questions about what has happend and what will happen, as when they stopped me it was a bit of a shock

[Nick Hearne]

Sorry to hear about your weekend!
Was this the offending boat currently for sale at 20K?
Nick

[Louise]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

Anyone have a contact number for the Harbour Master's Office at Warsash?

I would like to speak to them and ask them a few questions about what has happend and what will happen, as when they stopped me it was a bit of a shock

This is taken from their website: http://www.hants.gov.uk/hambleharbour/contact.html

Good to meet you both but sorry you had a bit of a bad experience. Don't forget, if you venture down to southern shores again, you're always welcome on Blue Ice.

[SteveHall]

Originally Posted by Nick Hearne

Sorry to hear about your weekend!
Was this the offending boat currently for sale at 20K?
Nick

Yup, I would not even pay 20.00 for it, it needs a lot of work and love.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by SteveHall

Yup, I would not even pay 20.00 for it, it needs a lot of work and love.

Steve sorry to hear about your experience. Suggest you take Rogues advice and go for the small claims court, you might see your hire fee back but also put these cowboys out of action so no one else gets caught. Load of advcie on line about the procedure.

The Avon has also been through e bay recently at £10k and no one touched it.

Pete

[SteveHall]

thanks Louise!

Just spoken to the guy's who stopped us yesterday and he says i have full ground for a refund and that the MCA had a 'lookout' on the craft and the MCA have been informed that the craft had been charterd after a ban had been placed on him and the craft.

So i think i a nice letter to him will be sent and lets see what happens